It is "essential for the UK" for the HS2 high-speed rail project, which would run between London and Birmingham and the North to go ahead, a report by MPs said.

The risks of not going ahead with the project "significantly outweigh the risks of doing so," say the House of Commons Transport Committee.

The committee, chaired by Louise Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, also said serious thought should be given to building the second-phase northern section of the line at the same time as the first phase London-to-Birmingham stretch.

The report into the viability of HS2 is a "cheerleading whitewash" and only heard from "people who support" the London to Birmingham rail link, according to activists.

Campaign manager for the Stop HS2 group Joe Rukin said:

Unlike the public accounts committee and treasury committee hearings on HS2, it was clear that this inquiry was going to be a cheerleading whitewash when the transport committee only called people who support HS2 to give evidence.

Despite the official cost of HS2 standing at £50 billion, the committee want to pretend it is £28 billion, even though they said it would be £34 billion in 2011.

In saying this and telling the DfT they should abandon their standard assessments to improve the case for HS2, they are effectively ordering the Government to 'spin harder' on HS2.